On 21^st October, Saturday, at 10 am, we held a workshop on medicinal plants for teachers in Odorheiu Secuiesc, at the headquarters of the Civitas Foundation.

After a brief presentation of the project, Csaba Jére introduced the booklet entitled „The basics of Knowing Medicinal Plants”, which is mainly aiming children as its audience, giving methodological guidance to its application. Afterwards Magdolna Bákai held a presentation about the activities and program packages related to medicinal plants, available at the Competence Center of Locodeni.

During this event practical sessions were held as well, the participants could try to create simple, medicinal plant based preparations.

On Friday morning, 13^th October, the closing conference of the project was held in the Panorama Pension, together an exhibition of the communities own herbal products. The conference was preceded by a press conference, attended by Gábor Kolumbán –president of the Civitas Foundation, Csaba Hajdó -member of the advisory board, Márton Balog –regional director of the Civitas Foundation from Cluj, Árpád Orbán – ex project manager, and on behalf of this project Géza Lajos Dénes –financial manager and Magdolna Bákai -project manager.

At the event, Árpád Orbán spoke of the beginnings, mentioning the name of program director Mónika Pakot, who had a significant role in the design and writing of the project and Ágnes Bara, who was the manager of the project at the start. He also spoke about how the Transylvanian Herb Garden project fits among the other projects of the Civitas Foundation.

Magdolna Bákai presented the project’s main activities and outcomes, highlighting the role of the Transylvanian Herb Garden Association, which will ensure the sustainability of the project. Mónika Pakot participated in the project as a trainer and she shared her personal experiences with the participants, Márton Balogh presented the Cluj-Napoca team’s part of the project: he was speaking about the formation of the volunteer groups, about the most important activities and outcomes of the project and the direction in which it will continue.

Gabriela Demian from Civitas Cluj-Napoca, who has been a project assistant for some time in the project presented a new project of Civitas Cluj, entitled ’’The Tea Box’’, which received funding under the sub-measure 16.4 of the National Rural Development Program (NRDP).

Gábor Kolumbán was talking about continuation opportunities, presenting a new project idea, developed together with the Swiss partners during a workshop. Afterwards, Éva Blénessy, former community organizer of the project, held a presentation about the role and purpose of the community.

With regard to future plans, it was also said that the continuous training of the members of the association was necessary. Katalin Cseke Árkosi talked about popular medicine, which could become the theme of the training courses held in the future.

After the conference there was an exhibition, where the communities had the chance to introduce themselves. The participants of the project spoke about their own experiences and demonstrated with their varied products, that the acquired knowledge was put in practice.

The volunteers team of the Transylvanian Herb Garden was present at the Fruit Festival of Odorhei Region (22-24^th September) with a large variety of programs. The products made from the freshly harvested/grown medicinal plants of the summer were prepared using the knowledge gained during the courses held along this project and they were enriching not only the medicinal herbs tents, but could be found on the stands of the communities’ tents as well. The presentations, craft workshops and herb recognition competitions included in the program were equally interesting for visitors of all ages.

On 15^th September we held an Open Day in Locodeni. The program included a workshop on the strategy of the Competence Center of Locodeni and right after that, a visit to the processing department, lecture room and show garden with the guidance of Csaba Jére. Afterwards the participants found themselves in the middle of a herbal exchange taking place on the camp site next to the brook, where they had the chance to exchange their seeds, seedlings, recipes and herbal preparations, and where they also could try to prepare spicy salt, an aromatic bouquet or a lavender doll. They could also test their newly acquired knowledge by participating in a herb recognition competition.

More than 40 children and young people participated in the workshop about medicinal plants held at the Competence Center in Locodeni, organized on 10-11^th August. During these two days the participants actively participated in activities related to the recognition, collection and processing of medicinal plants. The theory behind the workshop’s practical exercises was based on a publication which can be very well used as teaching material as well, complied within the frames of this project by biologist Csaba Jére. This booklet, containing the basic knowledge on medicinal herbs, will be published in September.